1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to nail drying. More, specifically this invention relates to an apparatus and a method for completely drying nail polish using both warm and very cold air.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In nail and beauty salons, one of the substantial sources of income is manicures and pedicures, i.e. the cleaning, toning and polishing of the fingernails and toenails. One of the problems inherent in the process is that clients have limited time after the nails are polished. The client normally waits at the salon for about fifteen to twenty minutes hoping to dry her nails at room temperature. However, the nails are not completely dry after that time frame. Invariably, the customer nicks or smudges the nails after leaving the salon. As a result, the damaged nails must be redone and still more time is spent waiting for the nail polish to dry. Many manicurists do not utilize machines to assist in drying fingernails or toenails after a polish is applied. However, nail drying machines are well known in the art. Such devices fail to reduce the drying time for nails to an appreciable extent.
Existing apparatus to dry nails can be broken down into three categories. Category one includes nail polish dryers that utilize heat. Examples of such nail polish dryers are as follows:
PATENTEEU.S. PAT. NO.GOODMAN2,184,858FINGERLIN2,262,274NEMETH2,734,282SELDITZ3,287,824FRIEDMAN ET AL3,864,847SIGMAN4,255,871
Category two uses forced ambient air to dry nails. However, in this group the ambient air is not heated or cooled by external means. The Simmons Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,389,822 shows a nail polish dryer where separate finger receiving passages are provided for each finger and the thumb. Air is directed past the tips of the fingers and is vented from the device by outlets. U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,209 is a nail dryer that equips the device with a hand rest to aid in both the application of the polish and that is positioned such that air is driven by a fan and deflected by the vents which speeds the drying of the polish. The Duchoud Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,984 is a clamshell type of housing where the device is opened by tilting the cover back on its hinges and contact strips are brought together providing power to a fan that drives air through the drying zone. Opening the cover activates the fan which supplies air to dry the nails.
Category three includes patents which use cooled air to dry nails. The Outlaw Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,906, uses air that is cooled below ambient temperatures before it is directed onto the fingernails. In this patent, the temperature discussed is between forty-five and sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit.
In general, the main problem with conventional nail polish drying machines is that they don't dry or set the nails completely. This is evidenced in the Edelman Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,679 whereby the inventor claims that she can dry nails to a “substantial” state. Drying to a “substantial state” means that the nails are not completely dried and therefore will smudge or nick. Also, the prior art states that optionally it would be possible to further augment the speed of the drying process by utilizing a chemical drying agent. This further highlights the major weakness of the prior art machines because if such machines worked, there would be no need for additional chemical drying agents.
It is apparent that there is a clear need for a method of drying nails and an apparatus to perform that method which results in a hardened finish.